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New Safety Protocols Needed at Elementary School
By Paris Gray
I am addressing the community with this article. To all the parents of children at school, to all the teachers whose duty it is to watch over these children and to anyone who has a general concern for the safety of our children, please hear me. I am addressing you about a very serious issue that has been brought to my attention through a very traumatic incident.
My name is Paris Gray. My son, Tucker Gray, attends Magee Elementary School in 1st grade. On the afternoon of February 19, 2019, my son reported to me that he was pushed in front of a school bus. His teacher later came to me and informed me of her knowledge of the event. The following morning I went to the school to hear the whole story. This is what I was told by the principal and members of the staff who witnessed the event.
All the children wait by the sidewalk to board their bus. Once the children from that group of buses board, the staff on duty checks to make sure the area is clear and then gives the buses the ok to move out and the next group of buses pulls up.
On the day of the event, following the ok signal for the buses to move up, my child was pushed underneath the bus by the rear tire by another student. He was saved thanks to the quick actions of Mrs. Julie Garner, who noticed Tucker as he was falling and quickly pulled him up seconds before the bus began to take off. I was told by various staff how close this was and that seconds along with the haste of the teacher on duty made the difference between a fall and the death of my son. I am forever grateful to Mrs. Garner for acting so swiftly and saving my child.
The issue that concerns me is the safety of the children. I have to wonder, “Why was my child so close to moving buses for this to happen? It could have been a Kindergartner who did not know any better and went to pick up a penny or a child who tripped on their shoelaces.” The fact is the children of Magee Elementary School are at risk. This is but one example of that.
On another occasion earlier in the year, a child was left on the bus all day. This event I witnessed first hand as everyone panicked and realized a child who had gotten on the bus that morning was not at school.
The child was found dehydrated on a school bus covered in his own urine at the end of the day.
Various parents have also expressed to me concern for children in the car rider line not being properly supervised. Our school’s number one concern above all else should be the safety of the students. Laziness and unawareness are not excuses for the dangers our children are in. Every effort should be exercised to ensure that while they are under the supervision of the school system, from the first child that gets on the bus in the morning to the last child that gets off the bus in the afternoon, our children are safe and accounted for.
This is the issue I bring to you today. I hope the school will take action and work to prevent further accidents. When a few seconds and a teacher’s prompt response are all that stands between the life and death of our children, things need to be reevaluated. No amount of apologies or recognition of what should have been done would have ever made up for the loss of my child. I hope the school will support me in an effort to make school safe for the students.
Paris Gray
The following is a letter to the editor.
